Machine fo ropening collapsed tubular box blanks



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U m01 vfaMm m M l J. BOUSQUET Filed Jan. 12, 194e Nov. 25, 1947.

' MACHINE Fon OPENING COLLAPSE TUBULAR Box BLANKs mlb Nw. 25, 194.7. J. BoUsQm-:T

MACHINE FOR OPENING COLLAPSEI? TUBULAR 4BOX BLANKS Filed Jan. 1?., 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTR Ja/7W 500567057' ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 25, 1947 MACHINE FOR OPENING COLLAPSE!) TUBULAR BOX BLANKS .lohn Bousquet, Copiague, N. Y., assignor to Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharle, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,848

(Cl. S13-53) 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for lling cartons or boxes, and particularly boxes for packaging candy-coated gum, such as fivecent boxes of Beechies With lling machines of this type in general commercial use, the boxes are supplied to the machine in fiattened condition and devices are employed in the machine for opening up the boxes preparatory to receiving the candy-coated gum or other articles. The devices heretofore ern-- ployed for thus opening up the boxes have not been found satisfactory owing to failure of the devices at times to open up the boxes properly.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved devices in a box-- filling machine of the character indicated for opening up the boxes preparatory to the lling thereof.

The several features of the invention, whereby this and other objects may be attained, will be readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of a box-filling machine embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in elevation, taken substantially on the line 2 -2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar view but with certain parts shown in a different position; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is particularly adapted for use in lling boxes 2 which are provided with top and bottom walls l and relatively narrow side or edge walls E, and end closure flaps 3. The boxes are supplied to the machine in flattened condition, and are arranged in stacked relation one upon the other in a magazine or hopper Hl, the flattening of the box being such that their rear side walls are olded downwardly and rearwardly (Figs. 1 and The fiattened boxes are successively removed from the bottom of the stack by means of vacuum cups l2 that are carried by an arm I4. As each box is moved downwardly by the suction cups l2, devices act to open or partially open the boxes and deposit them in this condition on a receiving table it.

When the box has been thus deposited on the table it, feeding devices comprising blocks I8 are moved rearwardly a predetermined distance to position the box over one of a series of trays El that are carried by an endless conveyor (not 2 shown). Near the limit of this movement of the feed blocks I8, the box is forced sufficiently over the rear edge of the table IB to cause it to v drop down into the tray (Fig. 3). The feed blocks I8 are then retracted into position to feed the next box deposited on the table I6. During the continued progress of the conveyor after a box has been deposited in a tray, a clapper plate 26 is swung downwardly so as to force the box into the tray preparatory to the box being fed to the box-filling mechanism (not shown). The clapper plate 26, as customary, may be operated by a vertically reciprocating link or rod 28 which has its upper end pivotally connected with an arm 3S that is secured to a shaft 32 which carries said clapper plate.

In accordance with the present invention, novel and improved means is provided for opening the boxes as they are successively removed from the bottom of the stack by the suction cups I2 and deposited on the receiver IB. As shown, this means comprises projections 35, 35 and 35 that are formed on a support 38 for the hopper I0. These projections are inclined or curved downwardly and forwardly and are successively stepped one below the other and spaced apart (Figs. 1 and 2).

With this construction, as each flattened box is carried downwardly by the suction cups l2, the rear edge of each box first engages the projection 34 near the one end of said edge, and as the box rides downwardly over said projection, it forces the box open adjacent the point of engagement therewith. During the continued downward movement, as the edge of the box rides over the projections 35 and 38 the box is progressively opened up adjacent its center and then at its other end. Thus when the box is released by the vacuum cups I2 and permitted to drop upon the receiving table I6, the boxes have been completely opened up.

It is found that such stepped relationship and spacing of the projections 34, 35, and 35 which act upon the edge of the box progressively as described, is necessary in order to insure effective opening up of the boxes.

Owing to the resiliency of the material of the boxes, it is found that when they are deposited upon the table I6 they have a tendency to partially reclose or flatten which causes the rear longitudinally side wall thereof to be inclined upwardly and rearwardly (Fig. 2).

In accordance with another feature of the invention there is provided abutment members ll having their forward end surfaces 2 inclined downwardly and rearwardly and said surfaces are arranged in the path of movement of the boxes as they are being fed by the feed blocks I8. As shown, these abutment members are arranged so as to cause the boxes to engage said inclined surfaces 42 near the ends of their rear walls. The abutment; members 40 are mounted in grooves in the underside of bracket members 44 secured to the support 38, and are secured to the bracket members by bolts 46. These bolts extend through elongated slots in the bracket members 44 and are screw-threaded into the abutment members 4D, so as to enable the abutment members to be adjusted both longitudinally and vertically.

With this construction as the feed blocks I8 feed a box rearwardly on the table I5, near the end of this movement, the upper rear longitudinal edge of the box is forced against the inclined abutment surfaces 42 suciently to straighten up the front and rear side walls of the box. The rear side of the box then drops over the rear end of the table I6 and into its tray 24, and during the continued movement of the conveyor the forward portion of the box slides off the end of the table and into the tray (Figs. 2 and 3).

It will be apparent that simple and effective means is provided for insuring complete opening up of the boxes as they are about to be deposited in the trays of the conveyor. The provision for adjustment of the aboutment members 40 both longitudinally and vertically, enables their abutment surfaces to be properly positioned to compensate for variations in the stiffness of the ma terial of the boxes and variations in timing of the operating parts of the machine.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: o

1. In a box-filling machine of the class described, a hopper for receiving box blanks in flattened condition and arranged in a stack one upon the other, means for successively removing the blanks in a downward direction from the bottom of the stack, and a plurality of downwardly and forwardly inclined abutments arranged in the path of one of the edges of the blanks as they are removed from the stack, said abutments being spaced apart longitudinally of said edge of the blank and being stepped downwardly one from the other, whereby box-opening forces are successively applied at spaced points to said edge of the box.

2. In a boX-lling machine of the class described, a hopper for receiving boxes in flattened condition and arranged in a stack one upon the other, a device for successively receiving the boxes from the bottom of the hopper and feeding them edgewise to a predetermined point, means for thus removing the boxes from the stack and 'delivering them to said receiving device in partially open condition, a conveyor comprising trays for successively receiving the boxes from said receiving device at said predetermined point, a member having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface arranged in the path of the partially open boxes as they are fed by said receiving device, whereby as the boxes approach said predetermined point the upper edge of the advancing side of the boxes engage said inclined surface to elect further opening of the boxes, and to cause the boxes to drop down into said trays, said abutment member being adjustable to Vary the position of its inclined surface both longitudinally and vertically,

3. In a box-filling machine of the class described, a hopper for receiving boxes in flattened condition and arranged in a stack one upon the other, a table for successively receiving the boxes from the bottom of the hopper, means for thus removing the boxes from the stack and delivering them to said table in partially opened condition, a, device for feeding each box when it is deposited on the table a predetermined distance over the rear edge of the table, said device engaging the lower edge of the rear side of the box during said feeding thereof, a conveyor comprising trays for successively receiving the boxes from the table when said boxes have been fed said predetermined distance over the rear edge of the table, and a member having a rearwardly and downwardly inclined surface arranged in the ipath'of the partially opened boxes as they are thus fed by said feeding device whereby as the boxes approach the limit of their said feeding movement the upper edge of the advancing side of the boxes engage said inclined surface to effect further opening of the boxes and to cause the boxes to drop from the table down into said trays.

JOHN BOUSQUET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,227,600 Flagg May 29, 1917 1,746,835 Jones Feb. 11, 1930 1,935,269 Jones Nov. 14, 1933 2,243,199 Evans May 27, 1941 Certcate of Correction Patent No. 2,431,365. November 25, 1947.

JOHN BOUSQUET It is hereby certied that errors appear in the printed speecation of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 2, line 31, after the Word near strike out the; line 51, for longitudinally read longitudinal; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Olce.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of March, A. D. 1948.

THOMAS F. MURPHY Assistant Oommzssz'ner of Patents. 

